FOXBORO Ė The Patriots wrapped up their first day of minicamp on Tuesday and there were some encouraging signs on the practice fields at Gillette Stadium.

FOXBORO Ė The Patriots wrapped up their first day of minicamp on Tuesday and there were some encouraging signs on the practice fields at Gillette Stadium.

For the first time, that the media has seen, Vince Wilfork, Tommy Kelly and Will Smith stayed on the field with their teammates throughout practice.

In the first week of organized team activities, the three only stretched before going into the field house to rehab. In the second, they briefly took part in some drills before going inside. Last week, Kelly was absent while Wilfork and Smith practiced with the team for an hour before going into the bubble. On Tuesday, the three were out there and even took part in some of the teamís 11-on-11 drills.

Itís certainly encouraging news.

There were five players missing from practice: Aaron Dobson, Alfozno Dennard, Dominique Easley, Armond Armstead and Darius Fleming. Dobson (foot) and Easley (knee) have known injuries, while the absence of Dennard is puzzling.

A long list of players were limited on Tuesday and spent most of the practice in the Dana-Farber Field House. That group was made up of Rob Gronkowski, Logan Mankins, Brandon LaFell, Ryan Mallett, D.J. Williams, Travis Hawkins, Deontae Skinner and Jeremy Gallon.

Offensively, several players stood out. Julian Edelman and Danny Amendola continue to be Tom Bradyís favorite targets. Both receivers made nice grabs to score within the red zone. Fullback James Develin, who continues to work with the tight ends, also made a nice diving touchdown grab.

Jimmy Garoppolo made some nice deep throws, but also showed some inconsistency and continues to fumble a snap or two during practice.

Running back James White got some solid reps with Brady and made a great catch down the sideline. Undrafted rookie free agent Justin Jones also made a nice grab early in practice. With Mankins out, guard Jon Halapio received some solid playing time. Running back Roy Finch also stood out.

Defensively, Steve Beauharnais had a nice breakup on a Brady pass intended for Michael Hoomanawanui. Cornerback Daxton Swanson has also been a standout.